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The Promises, Challenges and Opportunities for On-going Growth for Today’s Maturing Adults

Janet Schaeffler, OP

A few years ago, the mother of a friend of mine went to the doctor because of pain in her

left arm. After waiting a long time to see the doctor on the day of her appointment, the doctor

quickly and superficially examined her and then said, “Well, what can you expect? You’re 71,

you know.”

Louise immediately responded, “My other arm is the same age and it feels absolutely

fine.”

Might that real-life episode be symbolic, a representation of all that goes on today, in

every area of life, regarding those who are growing older? Even though much research, increased

understanding and holistic practices are happening today, there is still a long journey to travel to

move beyond the heresy of ageism in our society and culture, and even our congregations.

Ageism has been described as the prejudice and discriminating behavior toward senior

adults resulting from holding myths and stereotypes about aging and older persons. An

inaccurate assumption of ageism is that chronological age, in itself, determines the personality,

behavior and social traits of all senior adults. Ageism implies that one age group is superior to

another and the undercurrent is usually that “older” is inferior.

As with any prejudice, we are often unaware of all the beliefs we hold, all the things we

do and say. Becoming more aware of our attitudes, myths and stereotypes, and perhaps even

hang-ups, regarding growing older will influence our approach and ministry for senior adults.

How do we describe this growing population?

Foundational to our ministry with and for maturing adults are the words we use.

Angelita Fenker, D.Min. (Grace-Filled Transitions unto Transformation: Adapting the 12

Steps for a New Vision of Spiritual Eldering. Wyndham Hall Press, 2004) says: “Never treat

ourselves as ‘old.’ Never treat an older person as ‘old.’ Never let anyone treat us as ‘old.’” It’s

interesting that at no other time in life are disabilities equated with personhood except when one

is labeled ‘elderly.” In our society, ‘elderly’ or ‘old’ connotes diminishment and finality. If we

use ‘older,’ that term fits everyone. Everyone is always getting older.

Many people today are using the word ‘eldering’ rather than ‘elderly’ or even ‘elder.’

The Eldering Institute (http://eldering.org) asserts that eldering is

“transforming our experience of growing older

relating to people of all ages with respect and dignity

living life as a contribution

creating our collective future

learning and growing throughout our lives”

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“Eldering,” the noun used as a verb, suggests action; people are actively doing something

about life, about growth in life, rather than static words, such as aged, old, senior, etc.

In March 2009, The Midweek Herald in Devon, England even called for a ban on the

word ‘retirement.’ The word comes from the French, meaning “to withdraw.” The Herald quotes

Honey Langcaster-James in the Death of Retirement Report published by Standard Life, “(The

word retirement) no longer represents the hopes and aspirations of the baby boomer generation.

… The report followed a survey which found half of 46 to 65 year olds in the South West plan to

travel more in their long-term future. In contrast, only 39 percent of their parents’ generation

planned to travel more at retirement. Almost half of those surveyed hoped to learn a new skill,

such as a hobby or language – five times as many as their parents.”

In reality, the word ‘retirement’ no longer has an accurate meaning. We never really

‘retire.’ We just move from one phase of life to another. (Scripture never mentions the word

“retirement.”)

Many groups within the “eldering”

Who really are today’s eldering, today’s maturing population? The first tenet of

gerontology is that as we mature, we become more different from, rather than more alike, all

other people. There is absolutely no way to give a concise description of all in the maturing age

groups. Each person is unique; within that group (which is growing larger by the week) there are

multiple descriptions, numerous needs, and countless gifts.

Many people have attempted to describe several groups within the growing eldering.

Richard P. Johnson, in Parish Ministry for Maturing Adults (Twenty-Third Publications, 2007)

talks about three groups:

Boomers (ages fifty-five to seventy-two): This stage “of life development is best seen as

a time of growth, challenging (in a positive way), stimulating, engaging, and

participatory…”

Builders (ages seventy-three and above): “The distinguishing factor is a general physical

slowing down. Builders’ minds may be just as sharp and quick as always, but they suffer

some physical diminishment…”

Elders (those who live very long lives): This is the name that Johnson gives “to those

maturing adults …who have experienced some form of physical or cognitive debilitation.

…many in this group require special assistance or personal care.”

Colleen Johnson and Barbara M. Barer, in Life Beyond 85 Years (Prometheus Books,

2003) likewise places people into three groups (focusing, though, on loss and disability, rather

than continuing growth):

The “functionally fit survivors” who suffer “only moderate disabilities”

The “chronically disabled” who manage to live “with a high level of disability”

The “increasingly disabled” who require rising levels of assistance

One church, Heights Christian Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico, affectionately

divides their maturing members into three groups:

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The Go-Go’s: You all are still full of energy and vitality. Age hasn’t seemed to catch up

with you yet, although there are signs. You’re still physically active, able to go almost

anywhere – even though sometimes you sneak a nap before you do. You also may be in

the last stage of denial!

The Slow-Go’s: As the name implies, you’re slowing down and feeling your age. You

still like to go but just not as long. You have been known to take a nap before you go to

bed. You’re the life of the party – even if it lasts until 8 PM!

The No-Go’s: The only thing holding you back is probably your health. Your spirit is

willing but the flesh is weak, but your wisdom has not diminished. You’re a delight to

visit, have a great attitude about your circumstances and are a testimony of God’s love to

those around you.

Donald R. Koepke, in Ministering to Older Adults: The Building Blocks (The Haworth

Pastoral Press, 2005), divides the eldering into four general categories: “the active, transitional,

and frail elderly as well as caregivers (which overlaps both the active and the transitional

categories).”

Current Statistics

Fortunately, there probably are more studies and research happening today than ever

before, probably because 10,000 Baby Boomers are turning 65 every day. Let’s explore some of

the statistics, because they have implications for faith formation and ministry. These are taken

from Transgenerational Design Matters (http://transgenerational.org/aging/demographics.htm).

Never before in human history has our planet contained so many older people or such a

large percentage of them. This has not always been the case. As late as 1930, America's

older population numbered less than 7 million, only 5.4% of the population.

Today, one out of every 9 Americans is "old;” another former youth turns 50 every 8

seconds. Those age 65 and older now exceed 35 million, a number poised to explode.

January 2011 ushered in the first of approximately 77 million Baby Boomers, born from

1946 through 1964 and are surging toward the gates of retirement.

The 2010 U.S. Census Bureau brief on data from the 2010 Census

(http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-03.pdf shows seniors increasing

faster than younger populations, raising the nation's median age from 35.3 in 2000 to 37.2

in 2010, with seven states having a median age of 40 or older. Nearly 40 million

Americans are 65+, greater than the combined populations of New York, London and

Moscow. By 2050, the 65+ total will soar to over 80 million.

Each year more than 3.5 million Boomers turn 55. (In the U.S. every eight seconds a

Baby Boomer turns 65.) According to the UN Population Division, 1 in 5 people are

expected to be 65 or older by 2035. By 2050, the U.N. estimates that the proportion of

the world's population age 65 and over will more than double, from 7.6% today to 16.2%.

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The sex ratio (the number of men per 100 women) changes over the human life span.

Surprisingly, 105 male births occur for every 100 female births. As time passes, the

number of males continues to exceed females until the third decade (20-29). From that

age on, women increasingly outnumber men. For every 100 females in the 65-74 age

group, we find only 86 males. Their number continues to drops to 72 in the 75-84 age

group. For the old-old groups (85 and older) the sex ratio becomes even more

pronounced expanding to an astounding 49 men for every 100 women.

The dramatic growth in numbers and proportions, increased life expectancies, and

energetic life styles, now enables us to live 20 to 25% of our lives in active retirement.

Boomers will continue to bike, hike, swim, sail, and ski, play softball and basketball.

They'll move to the mountains, beaches, islands, and college towns where the physical

and intellectual action is. A survey by Del Web showed that half of them expect to work

at least part-time once they retire. And they'll want offices in their homes, with high

speed internet connections for those two or more computers, which 40 percent of them

already own. As LeRoy Hanneman, president and CEO of Del Web says, “Boomers

should be called Zoomers.”

Research and developments regarding learning in the eldering years

This topic, of course, could fill several books. Looking at just a few developments (and

our own experiences) will give us a picture of the changing landscape, for this reality touches all

we do in adult faith formation.

In her book, The Third Chapter: Passion, Risk and Adventure in the 25 Years after 50

(Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2009), Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, interviewing women and men who

were redefining themselves as new learners, discovered that learning within the Third Chapter is

different from the way learning traditionally takes place in schools. “Competition, speed, the

single pursuit of achievement, masking failure are things we all learn to do in school. The

learning and productivity we have in our Third Chapter has to do with patience, with

collaboration, with restraint and incrementalism.”

Lawrence-Lightfoot discovered that Third Chapter learners go through four stages when

they are new learners:

They are deeply curious about the subject they have chosen to study.

They let go of their fear of failure, and their fear of making a fool of themselves.

They display a willingness to be vulnerable.

They develop empathy and put themselves in the place of those who will become their

teachers – often people from different backgrounds, cultures, geographies and

generations.

Another development, the desire for on-going learning, results in the reality that the

eldering are designing their own learning opportunities. Their familiarity with the internet and

various forms of social media certainly contributes to this. One intriguing example is the

University of the Third Age (http://u3a.org.uk/). U3A “aims to encourage men and women no

longer in full-time employment to join together in educational creative/leisure activities. The

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word 'University' is used in its original sense of people coming together to share and pursue

learning in all its forms.”

Research and developments regarding spirituality in the eldering years

Holly Nelson-Becker, in an article in the July 2011 Generations Review newsletter

(http://www.britishgerontology.org/DB/gr-editions-2/generations-review/research-in-spirituality-

religion-and-aging-an-eme.html), surveys some of the challenges in researching spirituality and

aging (e.g. differing definitions of spirituality and religion, measuring the immeasurable, the

changing dynamics in religion and spirituality today, the diversity of people); yet calls for an

increase in research on spirituality, religion and aging since there are so many ramifications for

the elderly as well as for congregations.

Many researchers agree that spirituality deepens as we age. Richard P. Johnson’s constant

theme throughout his research, his resources and his website (www.senioradultministry.com) is

“As we mature, our spiritual pace quickens!”

Former President Bill Clinton called on religious and spiritual organizations and

delegates of the 1995 White House Conference on Aging to address the religious needs of older

adults and their spiritual well-being. This led to eleven mini-conferences on the spiritual and

religious aspects of aging. These were held across the U.S., and affirmed the importance and

everyday impact of spirituality in the lives of older adults.

Today, most researchers and practioners are also pointing out the changing face of

spirituality. The website, Transforming Life after 50

(http://www.transforminglifeafter50.org/midlife-trends/spirituality), states: “Boomers are

embracing spirituality in their own unique way, transforming the religious landscape of America

and giving birth to a broader ‘spiritual marketplace’ that incorporates many spiritual

perspectives, including both traditional and non-traditional religious communities.” Boomers are

seeking “a self-reflective quest for individual wholeness, a search for depth and meaning, as well

as guidance for living one’s life. As Boomers grow older, they tend to recognize that spirituality

must be cultivated through practice, and that there will be no ‘quick fix’ when it comes to

spiritual depth. Spirituality will most likely remain a significant aspect of their lives for the

remainder of their lives.”

During a workshop in the fall of 2009 at Asbury Methodist Village in Gaithersburg, Rev.

James Shopshire, Sr., professor of Sociology of Religion at Wesley Theological Seminary and

Rev. Ramonia Lee, chaplain of the Interfaith Center at Leisure World recounted the needs and

aspirations of today’s maturing population.

Shopshire said Boomers as a whole “have a distrust of institutional authority, including

the church. ‘I believe in God but I don’t believe in the church’ is the way Boomers express their

religion.”

Citing the statistics that Boomers are returning to church (in the 1970s only 30 percent

attended services, today 43 percent attend services), Shopshire asked, “What do Boomers seek in

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a church? They want a church open to spiritual experience, Bible studies that stress the practical,

a healthy emphasis on relationships, fewer titles and less formality.”

Lee said, “Boomers want to link having a ‘spiritual experience’ with ‘worship,’ and

expect worship to be participatory with a friendly and casual atmosphere, visual stimulation

(using screens, not hymn books), and arts and music. They want variety in worship, service and

study, and are insistent on excellence. They prefer worship that leaves room for interpretation,

spiritual reflection and personal application. They are open to theological interpretation as long

as it is free of dogmatism.”

“If the church is just religious, or just spiritual, it doesn’t meet the needs of Boomers,”

Shopshire said.

“One method of adult Christian education many like,” Shopshire said, “is to receive by e-

mail a news story, text and questions, which they see ahead of time then can meet on Monday to

discuss, ‘God’s views on the news.’”

Lee commented that age-segregated ministries do not appeal to Boomers; they will take

advantage of every possible opportunity to mix with the generations, Lee said. They want

partnerships with other groups in the church and the community, including mission groups,

choirs, coffee conversation groups, even confirmation classes with older members studying with

the children. “

Some Needs of the Eldering related to Church ministry

Much of the literature and research identifies the needs of the eldering population. These

can be the foundation upon which to build a practical and compassionate ministry and adult

formation opportunities with/for the eldering.

In Need for Community and Connectedness: Dr. David P. Gallagher, Senior Adult

Ministry in the 21st Century (Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2006), makes some observations about

the eldering. One of them is described as: “We love to be with friends, and we need a warm,

loving and caring church family to do that. A lot of us have family members spread out all over

the land and we don’t get to see them as often as we would like. But because our church friends

are close by and accessible and we have more time, we love to be with each other for times of

fellowship and activities.”

David O. Moberg (Aging and Spirituality: Spiritual dimensions of aging theory, research,

practice, and policy. The Haworth Press, 2001) suggests the following overlapping categories of

needs:

The Need for Meaning and Purpose: The need for meaning and purpose relates closely to

the deeply ingrained desire to maintain one’s personal dignity and self-esteem.

The Need for Love and Relatedness: Sharing companionship, conversation, intimacy,

laughter, a hug, or caressing touch and giving oneself to others by work or service help to

satisfy this need.

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The Need for Forgiveness: Most of us have experienced failures … these can be resolved

through accepting the forgiveness of God and others.

The Need for Spiritual Integration: We need to know and to feel ourselves spiritually

integrated beyond our own existence into an absolute order of existence.

The Need to Cope with Losses: Even losses can enrich one’s life journey for each

provides an opportunity for spiritual growth and development.

The Need for Freedom to Raise Questions: Usually it is cathartic for people to share …

questions with a sympathetic listener.

The Need for Flexibility: old age is a period of life in which many changes are imposed

upon people, despite whether they desire and seek them.

The Need to Prepare for Dying and Death: Much of this preparation seems purely

physical and materialistic, but also old emotional accounts from past mistakes and

grudges can be settled.

The Need to Be Useful: This is a form of the need to love others and, in turn, to receive

love from others.

The Need to Be Thankful: The life review can stimulate a more balanced perspective that

includes one’s happy experiences, profitable accomplishments, and good circumstances.

Some Gifts of the Eldering related to Church ministry

The Gift of Memory: In Growing Old in Christ, edited by Stanley Hauerwas, Carol

Bailing Stoneking, Keith C. Meador and David Cloutier (Eerdmans, 2003) the essayists write of

the importance of holding on to the Christian story, which gives meaning to individual stories

and provides “rich resources to make possible friendship between the elderly and, perhaps most

important, becoming and remaining friends with ourselves as we age.” Since Christian

communities live by memory, since the church’s central feast is a feast of memory, the eldering

have a unique and essential role in the church. They are the keepers of the meaning, the

repository and tellers of the story of the communion of saints.

The Gift of Wisdom: Rabbi Marc Disick of Temple Sinai in Stamford, CT believes that

the most important thing we can do for older people is make them feel that their wisdom and

years count for something. (http://www.pbs.org/lifepart2/watch/season-2/spirituality-and-aging)

The reflection from former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan becomes truer

each day, with today’s vibrant maturing population: “Trees grow stronger over the years, rivers

wider. Likewise, with age, human beings gain immeasurable depth and breadth of experience

and wisdom. That is why older persons should be not only respected; they should be utilized as

the rich resource to society that they are.

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The Gift of More Developed Abilities: In the July-August 2012 issue of Smithsonian

magazine, Helen Fields recounts several studies illustrating that the mind gets sharper at a

number of vitally important abilities, even while certain skills decline, as we get older.

“In a University of Illinois study, older traffic controllers excelled at their cognitively

taxing jobs … They were expert at navigating, juggle multiple aircraft simultaneously and

avoiding collisions….

For a 2010 study, researchers at the University of Michigan presented ‘Dear Abby’ letters

to 200 people and asked what advice they would give. Subjects in their 60s were better than

younger ones at imagining different points of view, thinking of multiple resolutions and

suggesting compromises….

For a study published this year, German researchers had people play a gambling game

meant to induce regret. Unlike 20-somethings, those in their 60s didn’t agonize over losing, and

they were less likely to try to redeem their loss by later taking big risks….

In 2010, researchers at Stony Brook University analyzed a telephone survey of hundreds

of thousands of Americans and found that people over 50 were happier overall, with anger

declining steadily from the 20s through the 70s and stress falling off a cliff in the 50s.”

Some foundational guidelines

Regardless of how the eldering are divided into sub-groups, and because of today’s

increased understanding of this growing population, there are several foundational guidelines

that are important to remember, especially for those in ministry, in faith formation:

As previously mentioned, each person is unique. No one can be placed into a category

with set characteristics, especially according to their age. As Ronni Bennett said on her

blog: “One of the most striking features of old age is its diversity. We age at dramatically

different rates and some people in their fifties can be decrepit while some in their nineties

are as sharp and nearly as capable as in their mid-years.”

(http://www.timegoesby.net/weblog/2012/08/what-is-it-like-to-be-old.html) Therefore, ministry for/with the eldering has to be multi-faceted.

There are numerous and varied needs within this population.

There is an abundance of gifts and wisdom within these members of our parishes.

Because today’s older adults are living longer, are healthy and energetic, ministries

for/with them need to be viewed as being with and through older adults rather than to

older adults.

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Aging needs to be recognized as a normal, natural process, filled with opportunities for

continued life and growth, rather than something to fear. Author Amy Hanson

(http://amyhanson.org/) dares church leaders to let go of stereotypes about aging and

embrace a new paradigm, that older adults are for the most part active, healthy and

capable of making significant contributions for the Kingdom of God.

In the words of Richard P. Johnson: we “need to dramatically shift our perspective on

senior adults away from a deficit perspective and toward an abundance perspective. A

deficit perspective leads us to the question, ‘How can we possibly take care of all these

older persons?’ An abundance perspective asks instead, ‘How can we harness the depth

of wisdom and well-learned adaptability resident in our senior adults?’ (February 2006

newsletter from www.senioradultministry.com)

Today, perhaps, there should be a shift in the emphasis from the duties of the eldering to

the church to the church’s duty to the eldering. When this is done well, of course, the

gifts of the eldering will be called forth for all in the community.

Ministry for/with the eldering is not an end in itself; it’s not simply a calendar of

activities or services to be provided. It “seeks to be attentive to, tend to, cultivate,

encourage, and deepen a person’s spiritual life.” (Donald R. Koepke, in Ministering to

Older Adults: The Building Blocks. The Haworth Pastoral Press, 2005)

Ministry for/with maturing adults needs to be both age-specific and multigenerational.

What is ministry and adult formation for/with the elderly?

It is obvious that it has to be varied, since the needs and gifts of the people are diverse

and numerous. One-size-doesn’t fit all. Certainly we know it needs to be beyond “busses, bingo,

and brownies.” (Richard P. Johnson in Parish Ministry for Maturing Adults. Twenty-Third

Publications, 2007.)

Before looking at specifics, it might be helpful to reflect on the twelve guiding principles

for ministry for/with the elderly as proposed by Richard P. Johnson (Parish Ministry for

Maturing Adults. Twenty-Third Publications, 2007).

Ministry for maturing adults:

Pays attention to three dimensions of growth: spiritual, psychological, and physical

Is part of the parish plan

Employs styles of teaching and learning unique to the people being served

Is based on the idea that God is calling each person in the parish to a profound

personal vocation

Shifts the focus of parish activity to a broad understanding of ministry that includes

shared activities as well as shared growth in faith and life

Welcomes elders into mainstream ministries of the parish

Embraces a goal of spiritual transformation

Offers programming that arises out of the real situation in which elders live

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Focuses on both interior and exterior growth

Is Christ-centered

Is developmental, ongoing, and lifelong

Honors diversity of age, stage, personality, ethnicity, and spirituality

What are the specifics? Donald R. Koepke (Ministering to Older Adults: The Building

Blocks. The Haworth Pastoral Press, 2005) suggests five categories, which will keep all the

aspects of eldering life in balance (these certainly overlap with each other):

Spiritual development

Continued education

Opportunities to serve

Opportunities to be served

Community building (social interaction) events

Spiritual Development

In many ways, the other four categories can be rolled into this one, since spirituality

touches all of life. Our spiritual growth is meshed with every other aspect of our lives. We are

holistic people (body, mind and spirit). As we grow in one area, we also grow in the others. Our

spirituality expands with all growth, when we’re open and aware.

David Moberg (“Spiritual maturity and wholeness in later years” in The Journal of

Religious Gerontology 7, 1/2 5-24, 1990) notes that among all change opportunities in human

life, the one that provides the most opportunity for continuing growth in the eldering years is the

spiritual. By its very nature, aging can foster spiritual development by inviting people into the

spiritual tasks of discovering, pondering, integrating, surrendering, growing and companioning.

Are prayer and reflective opportunities provided, opportunities which connect with the

current life experiences, questions, hopes and fears of the eldering?

Can we begin prayer groups where persons of deep faith, and perhaps limited physical

resources, can pray for the needs of others?

Do we realize that Scripture study, at this time in life, can be deeper because of the rich

life experiences of these eldering participants?

Do homilies contain illustrations of the experiences of older people?

How do we help people see their life wholistically?

Do we ritualize the transitions of life in this age? Is there a prayer, a blessing, for those

beginning retirement? Can we create rituals to acknowledge and celebrate each

decade of life? Is there a celebration of driving careers, planned on a regular basis

for those who have given up their driver’s licenses?

Can we develop rituals for transitions which parishioners can celebrate in their homes?

Are religious services televised and/or recorded?

Since forgiveness is a need, do we plan reconciliation services, focusing on the healing of

memories?

How do we acknowledge the caregivers in our parishes? These are often the eldering

ministering to other eldering.

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Have we ever matched up a young family with each older person in the parish,

inviting the family to pray for their person, writing them a note of appreciation

and care?

Are older persons invited into all the ministries of the church, especially the liturgical

ministries: ushers, readers, ministers of hospitality, etc.? (In reality, many older

persons are already there; they have been their whole lives and don’t slow down

as they get mature in age.)

Do we, within our parishe, offer opportunities, mentors and guides, for spiritual

direction?

Continued education

As previously mentioned, today’s eldering person craves for continuing learning. There

are no dividing lines (that would be a dualistic world); thus, we need to consider on-going

religious learning as well as learning which, at first glance, might not be considered religious.

“Ideally, religion is coextensive with life. The so-called secular experiences of adults are

pregnant with the possibility of religious meaning….

When adult religious education concentrates solely on topics perceived as sacred or holy,

the implication is that a host of educational needs and interests arising out of daily life are trivial,

a sort of second-class reality. What shapes a person’s religious response, however, is the totality

of his (her) experience and not simply that part of life experience perceived as sacred. Likewise,

a person’s religious response influences the manner in which he (she) experiences all of life and

not just a segment of life designated as sacred.” (Leon McKenzie and R. Michael Harton in The

Religious Education of Adults, Smyth & Helwys, 2002.)

“Since all experience has the potential for learning, the division between sacred and

secular fades away. In viewing life’s experiences as God-given, and our capacity to take note and

organize those experiences into meaningful frameworks as a gift of grace, our journey of lifelong

learning is at every moment a sacred one. Whether the experience and struggle to make meaning

of it are painful or joyful, the whole process is sacred. Whether the learning event takes place

within a religious context or outside of one, the moment is God-given. Lifelong learning and the

faith journey are one and the same.” (Margaret Fisher Brillinger in Adult Religious Education: A

Journey of Faith Development, Marie A. Gillen and Maurice C. Taylor, eds., Paulist Press,

1995.)

People in their eldering years understand this one-ness, or are seeking to, in unique ways.

It is part of the aging process. Some things to think about and to do:

In May 2010 an article in U.S. Catholic magazine advocated for Yellow Banana Schools

of Theology in our churches. (“I don’t buy green bananas. I may not still be here when

they ripen and turn yellow.”) This proposal was precipitated by the realization that most

congregations give much time, resources, and personnel to children, and some to adults,

but very little to the eldering.

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These Yellow Banana Schools would be an “endeavor powered by the urgency of age.

The courses, like a ripe banana, should not only be short but also sweet. … Yellow not

green! Short and interesting if not fun. The sweetener would be the choice of a dynamic,

questioning facilitator to run the sessions instead of an answer-giving teacher or a dull,

lecturing scholar. Most courses would run one session, seldom two, and never three. The

curriculum would be determined mostly by the students themselves, because as we age,

our felt needs increasingly become our real needs.”

When beginning to think about on-going learning for the elderly, often we think of

“expanding their religious knowledge,” using a catechism of sorts, or classes that are re-

runs of doctrine and teachings. For most of the elderly, they already know all the dogma

and doctrine they need to function as members of the church. They need fresh ideas. (I

listened to an elderly woman once who thought I might think her odd because she wanted

to explore more of what it meant to be a contemplative – and so did many of her friends.

They were afraid to ask their church to help them.)

What the elderly do need is to be invited to optimistic, growth-filled, practical

information regarding a maturing spirituality. They welcome how-to’s which enable them

to stay active, energetic, involved and open to spiritual growth and change which will

affect their entire life.

Parishes are called to provide workshops, resources and support aimed at addressing all

the realities of the eldering process: e.g. simplifying life; ways to share faith with

grandchildren; caring for grandchildren; the transition of retirement; the transition to a

new job; the empty-nest reality; marriage relationships in the older years; understanding

wills, living wills, organ donations, official forms (Social Security, Medicare, etc.);

managing transitions; nutrition and fitness; travel and leisure; discovering/developing

artistic/creative expression; understanding and living with loss; the meaning of suffering;

death and dying. One example of a series helping older adults determine their funeral

plans can be explored at http://www.janetschaeffler.com/Best-Practices.html; see #13.

One parish doesn’t have to do everything. Be a clearing house, a curator, by alerting older

persons to the array of educational and service opportunities in your area.

One of the interesting undertakings for on-going learning is taking place in California:

Progressive Christians Uniting

(http://www.progressivechristiansuniting.org/PCU/Progressive_Christians_Uniting.html),

founded by a 78-year old emeritus professor of theology. This endeavor has taken up

issues and concerns that impact today’s society: economics, politics, social ethics, etc.

Support groups can be developed in which older adults have a safe place for conversation

regarding their various needs: e.g. caregiving, inevitable losses of older life, adjusting to

“retirement,” widow/widower groups.

Book clubs can be a place for deepening one’s understanding, and sharing experiences, of

growing older. Books such as: A Deepening Love Affair: God’s Gift in Later Years by

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Jane Thibault (Upper Room Press, 1993); Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two

Halves of Life by Richard Rohr (Jossey-Bass, 2011); The Gift of Years: Growing Old

Gracefully by Joan Chittister (Bluebridge, 2010); After 50: Spiritually Embracing Your

Own Wisdom Years by Robert Wicks (Paulist Press, 2009); The Enduring Heart:

Spirituality for the Long Haul by Wilkie Au (Paulist Press, 2000); 30 Lessons for Living:

Tried and True Advice from the Wisest Americans by Karl Pillemer, Ph.D. (Hudson Street

Press, 2011).

One of the very helpful activities for the maturing adult is a life review: a way to

intensify gratitude. They may be expressed in a variety of ways: writing memoirs,

previewing and assembling photo albums, taping memoirs, through art, creating memory

gardens, developing family histories or genealogies, making trips to family homes or

pilgrimages to locations of spiritual significance, autobiographies or life histories. To

read about how one church invited/helped its elderly to compose a spiritual/life

autobiography, see http://store.pastoralplanning.com/iboplbeprfor.html.

In addition to life reviews, invite older adults to reflect on their legacy. What are they

passing on to the 7th

generation (a Native American tradition)? A reflective time to think

about the following questions, and perhaps write them down for their families, can be

very affirming:

o What are four of the spiritual gifts God has given you?

o To whom would you like to give these gifts?

o What are four of the talents God has given you?

o To whom would you like to leave these talents?

Parish Nurse Programs not only provide numerous services for the eldering, but can also

sponsor many educational opportunities related to health, safe living, transitions, etc.

Richard P. Johnson in Parish Ministry for Maturing Adults. Twenty-Third Publications,

2007 suggests a program of mini-courses to be offered for the older adults, such as: The

12 Keys of Successful Aging, How to Find Peace and Purpose, A Faith-based Perspective

of Sickness, A Holy Understanding of Wellness, Praying: the Heart of the Spiritual

Journey.

Connecting with another theme, the desire to serve, invite older adults to a process of

learning leading toward a deepened commitment: www.justfaith.org.

Some questions to ask ourselves:

o Are educational opportunities offered during the day as well as the evening to

accommodate some of the eldering who would prefer daytime schedules?

o Do we regularly analyze the message that our programs give older adults: e.g.

listing programs as “family-centered;” involving them as teachers or worship

leaders; blend of old and new hymns; intergenerational seating; accessibility and

clear signage at church?

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o Do we use the potential of technology, in all its forms, so that the eldering (as

well as harried younger members of our churches) can learn and participate from

their homes? For instance,

your local phone company can arrange for a conference call. The teacher

(at church) can use the church phone; people at home will participate via

their phones.

link the older adults with online sessions of interest to them. (Of course,

because they have varied interests and each person is unique, this will be a

broad range of topics.) One possibility: “Autumn Blessings: Spirituality in

the Second Half of Life” (http://www.bc.edu/crossroads).

Some resources/organizations for help in providing programs/services:

o The Alzheimers’s Association (www.alz.org)

o The National Council on Aging (www.ncoa.org)

o The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (www.naela.org)

o Although it might be known by different names in various areas, every county in

the country has an Area Agency on Aging (http://www.n4a.org/)

o The National Alliance for Caregiving (www.caregiving.org)

o Health Ministries Association (www.hmassoc.org)

o The Christian Association Serving Adult Ministries Network (www.gocasa.org)

o Forum on Religion and Spirituality in Aging (http://www.asaging.org/forum-

religion-spirituality-and-aging-forsa)

o Senior Adult Ministry: (www.senioradultministry.com)

o iTunes University: (www.apple.com/education/itunes-u)

o Duke University: www.learnmore.duke.edu

o TED talks (www.ted.com) and RE-TED

(http://gnmforum.blogspot.com/search/label/RE-TED)

o Osher Lifelong Learning: (http://nrc.northwestern.edu/)

o AARP: www.aarp.org

o Presbyterian Older Adult Ministries Network: www.poamn.org

In summary, as in all faith formation, opportunities for the maturing population need to

include various methods:

o Individualized: online opportunities, reading, videos, etc.

o Within home life: conversations, prayer and rituals, etc.

o In small groups: various topics; taking place in various locations (church,

restaurants, libraries, homes, etc.)

o In large groups: retreats, workshops, speakers, etc.

o The life of the church: worship, service, ministry and leadership

o Within the community and world: opportunities offered by various civic,

religious, educational organizations

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Opportunities to Serve

In addressing this facet of senior adult ministry, Donald R. Koepke (Ministering to Older

Adults: The Building Blocks. The Haworth Pastoral Press, 2005) entitles the chapter, “Call Me a

Master, Not a Senior Citizen.” He contends, as does everyone working and researching in this

field today, that “Human beings have a spiritual need to be involved in issues and people beyond

themselves. Older adults, with their education and experience, provide for a wealth of needs

within a community. However, their conflict of time and interest often forms a barrier to serving.

There are ways to avoid these barriers … Opportunities for older adults to serve are possible, no

matter what their physical capabilities.”

Many experts challenge congregations to create compelling opportunities, for as a

researcher at Peter Hart Associates commented in The New Face of Retirement: An Ongoing

Survey of American Attitudes on Aging (August 2002;

http://www.civicengagement.org/agingsociety/links/newface.pdf): “For this generation of older

Americans, volunteerism is about something much more substantial and real than taking up time

in their day … it is about filling a need, their need to both make a difference and be involved.”

As we look at some opportunities in which today’s older adults participate, it is also

helpful to remember that an ideal adult faith formation process is to invite/help people to

reflection after the service: e.g.: Has my worldview changed? What happened to me because of

this service? How will my life be different because I participated in this opportunity?

Some possibilities for service:

The BOLD Adult Ministry (Being our Lord’s Delight) at Chapelwood United Methodist

Church (http://www.chapelwood.org/MinistryMaster.cfm?Ministry_ID=4) has over 300

projects in which older adults can be involved, including Habitat for Humanity, missions

trips, and elementary school mentors.

Adopting a child/family in the parish.

Developing a garden plot for older adults who enjoy gardening. Someone can do the

heavy preparation of the garden, but provide tools for older persons to use in planting and

tending the garden. Flowers from the garden can be used in church; produce from the

garden can be used for an intergenerational meal and/or donated to homeless shelters.

Quilting of prayer quilts for those who are ill; some to be raffled with proceeds for

service causes.

Providing transportation for those no longer able to drive.

Being active in such programs as Befrienders Ministry

(http://www.befrienderministry.org/) or Stephen Ministries

(http://www.stephenministries.org/).

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Being involved in all the church ministries, especially visiting the homebound and those

in hospitals.

Tutoring after school.

Becoming big brothers/big sisters to students in a school close to the church.

Searching out the many ways the generations can be involved together. Sara Lawrence-

Lightfoot remarked: A bridging of the generations is crucial to “recognize the wisdom

that people in the Third Chapter bring – their resilience, their wisdom, their patience,

their skills – and what it is that people in the first chapter might offer – their cultural

currency, their comfort with new ideas, their technological skills, their impatience and

ambitiousnesss. We need to be in conversation with each other and know each other’s

experiences and stories.”

One example of bringing the generations together in service is exemplified at Grace

Presbyterian Church, Houston, TX where they participate in Church Apartment Ministry

(http://www.churchapartmentministry.org/apartment/home.php), in which the

congregation maintains an apartment for families of patients coming for cancer treatment

at the Texas Medical Center. The Encore 50+ Ministry coordinates this outreach; the

young adults of the congregation do most of the cleaning and maintenance as well as

helping the families move in. The older adults visit the families and patient, offer to bring

them to church, and provide meals.

Some helpful websites:

o Action without Borders Idealist (www.idealist.org): an interactive site where

individuals and organizations can exchange resources

o Christian Appalachian Project (www.christianapp.org): an interdenominational

organization that serves the needy in Appalachia

o Corporation for National and Community Service (www.getinvolved.gov):

sponsors “Get Involved,” opportunities tailored to the skills and experience of

those 55 and older

o Peace Corps (www.peacecorps.gov): welcomes older Americans to give

something back while seeing the world

Opportunities to Be Served

A fourth part of parish ministry to the eldering is caring for their unique needs; those who

have given all their lives now need to be served. Some services/responses that are meaningful:

It is easy for older, homebound members to become disconnected from the parish.

Churches need to do everything possible to know who their homebound and hospitalized

members are, and have processes in place to include them (visits, phone calls, sending

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notes, birthday/thinking of you cards and the church bulletin, placing their name on the

parish’s prayer list, TV programming of parish events, services provided, etc.)

Parishioners who are sent forth from the Sunday liturgy to bring Eucharist to those

unable to be present

Providing companions to doctors, shopping for those who need assistance, organizing

trips to help adults who can’t get out on their own (the library, a movie, concert, festival,

or day of prayer

Telephone reassurance programs for those who are homebound

Grace Presbyterian Church, Houston, TX

(http://houstonsgrace.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=251&Itemid

=280) ministers to the caregivers and those they serve. “The Gathering” is a day of care

providing a few hours of fellowship for those who have had strokes, have dementia or

Alzheimer's, and the frail elderly who are isolated from normal activities. It also gives a

time of respite for their caregivers.

StoryCorps (http://www.npr.org/series/4516989/storycorps)

is an independent nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide Americans of

all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories

of our lives. The same could be done in our congregations, inviting the older members to

share their stories, their gifts, and the wisdom of life. This could be preserved within the

church library.

The homebound and hospitalized can be invited to be a part of the ministry of prayer of

the parish, praying for the needs of the community.

Parishes becoming aware of how the needs of older adults are met in the community:

public transportation, adult day care programs, assisted living and nursing facilities,

meals on wheels, accessibility of public places. Share what is learned with the parish as

well as continuing to search out ways to improve them.

Community-Building Events

This is the area, perhaps, which first comes to mind when thinking of older adults. It is

crucial. The need for relationships and interaction with others continues throughout life. What

are the many ways our life of the parish, as well as our programs, provide for fulfilling and

enjoyable social events?

2nd

Half Ministries at Northshore Community Church, Kirkland, WA hosts the Baby

Boomers Bash, designed to celebrate the Baby Boomers turning 60 and affirm people

at this stage in life. (A glance at their website - http://northshore.church/connect/2nd-

half/ - illustrates the depth of their ministry to older adults.)

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In Marietta, GA, Johnson Ferry Baptist Church, through “Life After Fifty” provides a

comprehensive ministry. One of its features is the Magnolia Ball for over 300 nursing

home and assisted living residents and the homebound members of the church.

Many parishes/older adults within the parish do a superb job of planning and hosting

events: brunches, dinners, card parties, trips.

Community building would also include inviting participants – in any gathering – to

get to know one another better. For ideas, see:

o www.treegroup.info

o www.wholeperson.com

o http://www.buzzle.com/articles/icebreaker-activities-for-adults.html

o http://adulted.about.com/od/icebreakers/tp/toptenicebreakers.htm

o http://www.askives.com/funny-icebreaker-questions-for-adults.html

As we reflect on all that can be done within these five areas, some might say, “Some of

them do not relate to faith formation, they are not really a part of lifelong learning.” Yet, what is

our definition of learning? Of formation? On-going formation is all-encompassing. All we do, all

that we experience “teaches.” We are learning (positively or negatively) by everything that

touches our lives.

Originally published in Lifelong Faith Journal

http://www.lifelongfaith.com/journal.html

Fall 2012

www.janetschaeffler.com

Copyright © 2012 [Janet Schaeffler, OP]. All Rights Reserved